Over the course of a long winter break, it could be easy for an athlete to slack off on his or her training regimen.

Surely everyone, student and athlete alike, has earned it after a long semester. Winter break would be the best time to sleep in late and enjoy the time at home. That is what all the other athletes are probably doing, right?

Not red-shirt junior Zye Boey. But then again, Zye Boey is not like other athletes.

“I just did exactly what the coaches told me to do. I followed the workout plan and executed it. I worked out all day every day,” Boey said.

Sprinter Zye Boey is one of the best athletes Eastern has. At last weekend’s Badger Track Classic, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Boey took first place in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes.

Boey’s 60-meter time of 6.75 seconds currently stands as the best in the OVC, one spot above teammate Jacob Mitchell’s 6.83.

The time Boey posted for the 200-meter dash last weekend is not only the best in the OVC, but also the third fastest time in the nation. Boey is just 0.18 seconds behind the current leader Gerald Phiri of Texas A&M. In the Ohio Valley Conference, Boey leads Eastern’s Darren Patterson by 0.65 seconds.

“So far this season, I’ve been running good, I have a great attitude, I’ve been working very hard in practice, every time I go out I give it all I’ve got, and I just want to be there,” Boey said.

Boey missed the entire 2010 indoor track season with a knee injury. Boey went on to recover and do well in the following outdoor season. He said his knee is still not yet 100 percent, but he still remains confident.

Even for someone who has been winning so consistently, Boey said he still felt nervous before the 60-meter event.

“Honestly, I was a bit nervous. My mind was pretty blank. I just had to run hard, compete, and do what I had to do, whether win or lose, just give it all I’ve got,” Boey said.

Boey said he was even more nervous during his 200-meter event.

“I was a little more nervous, just because it’s a little longer race, and because over the break, even though I worked out, I still didn’t know where my body was competition-wise,” Boey said. “After the gun went off, I heard the guy coming up behind me, so I just put my foot down and held the guy off.”

Boey said he feels confident he can produce the same results he has in the past. He says the key to success is to listen, stay humble and just to keep doing all the right things.

“I’m pretty sure it will be good for me to be doing the same things I’ve been doing,” Boey said.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-7944

or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.